JOHN KIELY’S ALL-IRELAND final-bound Limerick side enlisted the help of one of the country’s most elite high performers on their path through this year’s Championship.
After a season where he hit the form of his life, Grand Slam-winner Keith Earls has shared some of his knowledge with his county’s hurlers.
A native of Moyross, Earls has placed a lot of stock in his mental approach to his game in recent seasons. The 30-year-old has extolled the value of visualisation techniques among the factors which have helped him add psychological steel to his natural athletic prowess.
Speaking as Munster launched their new jersey with Lifestyle Sports yesterday, Conor Murray mentioned Earls’ involvement after a recounting of his enjoyable trip to Croke Park for Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final.
“Hurling is one of the best sports in the world to watch,” says Murray, who played hurling with Patrickswell until he was 16.
“I played hurling as a youngster and some of the Patrickswell young fellas were playing last weekend, so it was great to go up and see them do well. Being around Croke Park on All-Ireland semi-final day is a pure Irish day and there is a great buzz about it.
“I am looking for tickets for the final too, if you have any!”
With his own experience of going into season-defining matches and, with Ireland at least, coming up holding silverware, Murray was asked what advice he would offer his countymen before 19 August.
“Earlsy was out chatting to them actually, they have linked into that a little bit.
“I’d just chat about whatever questions they ask me and how to prepare. Don’t try and do anything different, that is what go you there in the first place. These are cliché things, because that is what they are and because that is what works in those games.
“They look like a team that are completely comfortable. They look like a team that didn’t get bogged down by the occasion last week and that was the fear with Limerick going to Croke Park for years. They seem to have a grasp on that. Earlsy is doing a good job with that.”
Earls is the latest in a line of rugby pros invited to lend support to their hurling counterparts. Pat Lam and John Muldoon worked with Galway in recent seasons while Denis Leamy was a member of his native Tipperary’s backroom team during their run to to the Liam MacCarthy in 2016.
Available exclusively from Life Style Sports, Conor Murray, Peter O’Mahony and CJ Stander were pictured at the launch of the 2018/19 Munster Rugby alternate and European jersey, to join the conversation and discover the design inspiration for the jerseys, follow @lifestylesportsrugby and #LIVEMUNSTER. The jerseys and supporter range are available in Life Style Sports stores nationwide and online with next day delivery from www.lifestylesports.com.
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